Chapter 7 - Meetings of the Senate

Place of meeting

In the proclamation fixing the time for the Parliament to meet at the beginning of a session, traditionally the Governor-General purports to direct the Houses as to the place of their meeting, although this is not authorised by the Constitution. Under its own resolution, the Senate meets in its chamber in Parliament House in Canberra.[3] It is arguable that, under section 125 of the Constitution, the Senate may not meet other than in the seat of government established under that section. In 2001, however, the Senate resolved to meet in Melbourne to commemorate the first meetings there in 1901, but no legislative business was transacted at the commemorative meetings.[4]